The Year We Got Better

Let's Break a Sweat

This week on the podcast, we are diving deeper into one subcategory of the physical dimension: Exercise! Join us for a meaningful and body positive conversation about moving our bodies, breaking a sweat, and freeing ourselves from the cycle of exercise as punishment. The Rapid Fire segment brings us back to a lighter note before we move into our weekly rundown of the eight dimensions of wellness. Tune in to chat about all things exercise and movement.  The Rundown 0:00 - Intro 0:49 - Our exercise and fitness journeys  11:43 - Why do people exercise?  15:11 - The impact of social media on exercise habits 17:18 - Reframing exercise in a positive light 24:25 - How important is rest?  26:16 - Rapid fire!!! 29:35 - How did we invest in each dimension this week?  36:03 - How ya feelin’?  Links to cool stuff we talk about during the podcast:  The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai - https://rebeccamakkai.com/work/the-great-believers/ [https://rebeccamakkai.com/work/the-great-believers/]  Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green - https://everythingistb.com/ [https://everythingistb.com/]  The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/donna-tartt [https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/donna-tartt]  Amazing Glaze - https://www.amazingglaze.net/ [https://www.amazingglaze.net/]  Six Seasons of Pasta by Joshua McFadden - https://www.joshuamcfadden.com/projects/six-seasons-of-pasta [https://www.joshuamcfadden.com/projects/six-seasons-of-pasta]  Find Us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theyearwegotbetter/ [https://www.instagram.com/theyearwegotbetter/]  Find Us on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@TheYearWeGotBetter [https://www.youtube.com/@TheYearWeGotBetter]

Real Talk: Body Image

We wouldn’t be a wellness podcast without a deep dive into body image. Our topic for week fifteen touches on many different dimensions of wellness but particularly on physical and emotional health. We’re talking about everything from societal pressures to fatphobia to boobs. As always, we bring back some silliness in the Rapid Fire segment before moving into our weekly rundown of the eight dimensions of wellness. Tune in to learn more about where we’re at with our body image these days.  The Rundown 0:00 - Intro 1:00 - Our current relationships with our bodies 5:24 - Early messaging about body image  11:43 - Weight-loss drugs 15:04 - Where we find positive body image 17:43 - How body image changes over time 26:58 - Tips and tricks to improve your body image 32:39 - Rapid fire!!! 34:13 - How did we invest in each dimension this week?  39:21 - How ya feelin’?  Links to cool stuff we talk about during the podcast:  Nicola Coughlan represents the “perfect breasts community” - https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/on-bridgerton-nicola-coughlan-proudly-represents-women-with-perfect-breasts [https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/on-bridgerton-nicola-coughlan-proudly-represents-women-with-perfect-breasts]  Tapas Teatro Baltimore - http://www.tapasteatro.com/ [http://www.tapasteatro.com/]  The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/donna-tartt/the-goldfinch/9780316055437/?lens=little-brown [https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/donna-tartt/the-goldfinch/9780316055437/?lens=little-brown]  The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai - https://rebeccamakkai.com/work/the-great-believers/ [https://rebeccamakkai.com/work/the-great-believers/]

UNsocial Media

Social media: Is it actually social anymore? For week fourteen, we are focusing on the social dimension, diving deeper into the landscape of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and more. We talk about our own experiences as social media users, the impact of AI, and the addiction factor. As always, the Rapid Fire segment brings back the levity before we move into our weekly rundown of the eight dimensions of wellness. Tune in to learn more about our social media hot takes.  The Rundown 0:00 - Intro 1:13 - The stats on social media 2:08 - What is happening with social media these days?  6:20 - Connection and disconnection on social media 12:21 - Does social media make our lives better?  17:30 - Fundamental shifts in social media and the impact of AI 24:01 - Balancing analog and digital lives 27:05 - Rapid fire!!! 29:07 - How did we invest in each dimension this week?  34:13 - How ya feelin’?  Links to cool stuff we talk about during the podcast:  “Can’t Look Away” documentary - https://www.jolt.film/watch/cantlookaway [https://www.jolt.film/watch/cantlookaway]  The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt - https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/book [https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/book]  Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams - https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250391230/carelesspeople/ [https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250391230/carelesspeople/]  “AI-altered photos and videos of Minneapolis shootings blur reality” (NBC News) - https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/ai-altered-photos-videos-minneapolis-shootings-blur-reality-rcna256552 [https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/ai-altered-photos-videos-minneapolis-shootings-blur-reality-rcna256552]  L.L. Bean Sherpa Jacket - https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/128413 [https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/128413]  The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/donna-tartt/the-goldfinch/9780316055437/?lens=little-brown [https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/donna-tartt/the-goldfinch/9780316055437/?lens=little-brown]  The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai - https://rebeccamakkai.com/work/the-great-believers/ [https://rebeccamakkai.com/work/the-great-believers/]  Small Thing Like These by Claire Keegan - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/small-things-like-these-claire-keegan/1139228770 [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/small-things-like-these-claire-keegan/1139228770]  Roasted White Bean and Tomato Pasta - https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024062-roasted-white-bean-and-tomato-pasta [https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024062-roasted-white-bean-and-tomato-pasta]  Dessert Person cookbook by Claire Saffitz - https://www.dessertperson.com/dessert-person-cookbook [https://www.dessertperson.com/dessert-person-cookbook]

We VALUE Your Time

You asked for it, we brought it! For week thirteen, we are focusing on values. We talk about how to live a value-driven life, why understanding your values builds empowerment, and how they change over time. Plus, we share some of our core values and discuss what happens when values collide. As always, the Rapid Fire segment takes a chaotic turn before we move into our weekly rundown of the eight dimensions of wellness. Tune in to learn more about our key values and how we embrace them in everyday life.  The Rundown 0:00 - Intro 0:45 - What does the term “values” mean? 1:34 - Why is it important to determine your values? 2:30 - Our values stories 7:53 - How do values influence decision-making? 11:32 - False binaries and the black and white thinking fallacy 18:37 - The values sort exercise 25:04 - Living into our values in real life 33:41 - Rapid fire!!! 36:58 - How did we invest in each dimension this week?  43:57 - How ya feelin’?  Links to cool stuff we talk about during the podcast:  Printable values sort template - https://psychwire.com/free-resources/clinical-tools/resource-1homhnz/personal-values-card-sort [https://psychwire.com/free-resources/clinical-tools/resource-1homhnz/personal-values-card-sort]  The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai - https://rebeccamakkai.com/work/the-great-believers/ [https://rebeccamakkai.com/work/the-great-believers/]  The Correspondent by Virginia Evans - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/755600/the-correspondent-by-virginia-evans/ [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/755600/the-correspondent-by-virginia-evans/]  Get a Letter From Quinn - https://forms.gle/vk1wmSFo71HSVtoHA [https://forms.gle/vk1wmSFo71HSVtoHA]  Quinn’s Substack - https://thisismyyear.substack.com/ [https://thisismyyear.substack.com/]

Fail Fast, Fail Often

How does failure fit into the overall equation of mental health? On week twelve of the podcast, we are diving into societal expectations, the false dichotomy of failure and success, and making your own rules. As always, we get rowdy on the Rapid Fire segment before moving onto our weekly rundown of the eight dimensions of wellness. Tune in to learn more about our latest failures and how we constantly renegotiate the concept of success! The Rundown 0:00 - Intro 1:08 - What does failure mean to us?  8:10 - What can we learn from failure?   16:27 - Failure and self-worth 18:30 - Fear of failure 21:19 - Rapid fire!!! 24:45 - How did we invest in each dimension this week?  35:35 - How ya feelin’?  Links to cool stuff we talk about during the podcast:  The Correspondent by Virginia Evans - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/755600/the-correspondent-by-virginia-evans/ [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/755600/the-correspondent-by-virginia-evans/]  Theo of Golden by Allen Levi - https://www.allenlevi.com/the-book [https://www.allenlevi.com/the-book]  The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf - https://heathergudenkauf.com/the-overnight-guest/ [https://heathergudenkauf.com/the-overnight-guest/]  Vegetarian bean and cheese burritos - https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022532-bean-and-cheese-burritos [https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022532-bean-and-cheese-burritos]  Pea stew - https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026665-spiced-pea-stew-with-yogurt [https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026665-spiced-pea-stew-with-yogurt]  Red lentil soup - https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016062-red-lentil-soup [https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016062-red-lentil-soup]  TBR Writing and Publishing Conference - https://www.tbr.boston/ [https://www.tbr.boston/]  Quinn’s Substack - https://thisismyyear.substack.com/ [https://thisismyyear.substack.com/]